Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In a few days one of our sisters will voice these words in the presence of her family, friends and other Religious Sisters.  Three ordinary words but what extraordinary significance they carry for our Sister Lystra.  With these words she completes solemn vows of religious profession to our Sinsinawa Dominican Family.  These days as we in Trinidad prepare for this wonderful celebration, I am coming to see in a real way what these words might mean for us as Dominicans of Sinsinawa.  ….Even unto death is the reason seventeen of our US Sisters will sacrifice time and energy and more perhaps, to come to Trinidad to prepare for and celebrate this event with Lystra. …Even unto death is the reason the Sisters in Trinidad are preparing to warmly welcome our US Sisters to our country and to our homes. ---Even unto death is the reason we, as we plan, are willing to risk relating transparently and honestly so that our plans can be for the common good of all.  …Ev...

The poet Hafiz talks to God in great intimate poetry.  One of my favorite questions of his goes something like: God, what love mischief will we get into today? Remember picnics in your back yard growing up or neighborhood friends walking in and out of your house being welcomed by your parents? Wow! Didn’t they teach us a lot about hospitality.  My dad used to say, “tack up a piece of salami and you’re ready for a get-together.”  That’s still true with our Penn Community in Atlanta.  More often than not we have more than our community of six at our table and for prayer.  Somehow, people keep coming to visit. Of course after 20 plus years of having volunteers in our community, we have a lot of alumni to embrace and be embraced.  Hospitality can even be a time of courage?  We don’t ask folks if they have legal papers when they join us or when we give them a ride.  In Georgia, this kind of hospitality could lead to arrest. Now that’s love mischief. ...